Portable enclosure



C. T. BARTLETT PORTABLE ENLosURE Jan. 1, 1952 Filed oct. 25, 1949 y lllllnl\ s A W .lli-.wv-huw M llllllnfnalllll Fig.

lllllll Inventor Carl Bari/eff @d/may Hmm Jan. .1, 1952 c. T. BARTLETT PORTABLE ENCLOSURF! 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed OC'C. 25, 1949 Inventor 'Carl' 7'. Barr/eff Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED sTA'rEsw- PATENT oFFlcEf- PORTABLE ENCLOSURE' cari naarden, Muncie, Ina. Application October 25, 1949, Serial No. 123,445

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in portable enclosures of the type adapted to maintain animals, such as pets in a conned area.

An object of this invention is to enclose an animal in a confined area by placing a number of panels in juxtaposition and releasably connecting the panels together by hinged connections so that the panels may be moved with respect to each other and anchored in the ground, whereby any practical number of panels may be employed to increase or decrease the size of the enclosure.

Another object of this invention is to enclose an animal or any other object, or even, to form a play pen for children, or to enclose a particular region, by means of providing a number of panels in juxtaposition and releasably join the panels so that they may be horizontally extended or retracted to provide a larger or smaller confined region and to vertically extend the panels to any desired height by means of vertically aligning a second set of panels on the tops of the i'lrst set of panels and by holding the said second set of panels in place on the lower set by means of the same pins which hold the panels of the rst mentioned or lower set in juxtaposition.

Ancillary objects and features will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one adaptation of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second use of the structural components shown in Figure 1, there being exactly double the number of panels illustrated in Figure 2 as in Figure 1, and the additional panels being employed to increase the height of the enclosure;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view in exploded detail showing the connection of a typical pair of panels;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank which is stamped into one of the hinge leaves;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the leaf after it has been clamped whereby it is in readiness for attachment to one of the panels; and,

Figure 6 is a sectional view in enlarged detail taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows.

In carrying out the invention, I have provided a number of identical elements. In the illustration of Figure 1 there are four panels illustrated, generally indicated at l0, I2, I4 and -IE respectively. The same panels are shown in Fig- 1 claim. (c1. 11s-2o) ure 2 however, additional panels I 8, 20, 22 and 24 respectively are vertically aligned therewith and disposed on the top parts or tops thereof.

Each panel is of identical structure. Accordingly, for example, the panel I0 is described in detail. A rectangular tubing 2'6 forms a frame and consists of a bottom 28, a top 29 which is parallel therewith and sides 32 and 34 respectively which are parallel to each other but perpendicular to the bottom 28 and the top 29. Mesh screen 36 is secured to the sides, the top and the bottom, and any type of screen or other material may be employed. It is recommended that a wire mesh screen be used. However, others may be employed. A vertical facing and strengthening strip 38 is secured to the bottom 28 and top 29 by any suitable means, as Welding, and serves to rigidify the panel Ill.

The panel In is provided with a pair of hinge leaves on each side. The leaves 40 and 42 are disclosed in Figure 3. Each leaf is stamped from a blank as disclosed in Figure 4.

The blank consists of a pair of rectangular portions 44 and 46 connected by areduced neck or shank 48. Apertures 49 and 50 are provided in the rectangular portion 44, while apertures 5I and 52 are provided in the rectangular portion 46.

When the blank is stamped, the hinge leaf 40 results (see Figure 5). The resulting structure is a pair of substantially parallel legsA 54 and 56 which are adapted to clamp the tubing of the side 32. For this purpose, concavities 58 are provided intermediate the ends of the legs or sides 54 and 55. The neck portion 48 provides a bight 60 after it has been stamped in order to accommodate the hinge type locking pin 62.

Since each section is provided with a pair of hinge leaves, the ends of the adjacent sections are placed in juxtaposition and pins 52 are passed through the bights of the respective leaves.

The pin 62 is preferably provided with a sharpened lower end portion 64 in order to penetrate the ground and a substantially circular upper end portion 66 preventing the pin from passing too far downwardly into the ground by abutting the smoothly curved corners of the adjacent panels.

In order to hold the adjacent sections or panels in proper position then, the pins 62 are passed through the respective bights of the pairs of leaves, said pairs consisting of one leaf provided on one end of a panel and another leaf provided on the adjacent end panel nearest thereto. Bolts 'llly are passed through the apertures 49, 52 and 53, 5I iirmly pressing the legs 54 and 56 against the -ends or sides of the panels.

In order to increase the height of the enclosure, the vertically aligned panels i8, 20, 22 and 24 are disposed on the tops of the lower plurality of panels and the pins 12 which are somewhat longer than the pins 62 are passed through all of the hinge leaves which are in vertical alignment thereby holding the higher enclosure in place.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A portable" enclosure comprising a plurality of locking hinge pins passed through matching pairs of said leaves, and said pairsbfeach consistingofY one leaf on adjacent sides of confronting panels, a plurality of upper panels, each of said upper panels having a top, sidesand a bottom, the bottoms-r` oisaidupper panels beingdisposed upon 4 the tops of said lower panels, said upper panels and said lower panels having means separably connecting them together, said connecting means including said hinge pins, and confronting sides of said upper panels having hinge leaves through which said hinge pins pass.

CARL T. BARTLETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesarerof recordsin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 825,197 Lee July 3, 1906 1,160,728 Liggett Nov. 16, 1915 1,168,836 Vette` Jan. 18, 1916 1,170,794 Barnes Feb. 8, 1916 1,251,926:l Schlesinger Jan. 1, 1918 1,330,404 Sommer Feb. 10, 1920 2,008,637" Burruset-al,A July 16,- 1935 

